Mya-Rose Craig

Birder, environmentalist and activist Mya-Rose Craig is an international force. In her moving memoir, Birdgirl, she chronicles her mother’s struggle with mental illness, and shares her passion for social justice and fierce dedication to preserving our planet. Meet Mya-Rose – otherwise known as “Birdgirl.” In her words: “Birdwatching has never felt like a hobby, or a pastime I can pick up and put down, but a thread running through the pattern of my life, so tightly woven in that there’s no way of pulling it free and leaving the rest of my life intact.” Birdgirl follows Mya-Rose and her family as they travel the world in search of rare birds and astonishing landscapes. But a shadow moves with them, too—her mother's deepening mental health crisis. In the face of this struggle, the Craigs turn to nature again and again for comfort and meaning. Each bird they see brings a moment of joy and reflection, instilling in Mya-Rose a deep love of the natural world. But Mya-Rose has also seen first-hand the reckless destruction we are inflicting on our fragile planet, as well as the pervasive racism infecting every corner of the world, leading her to campaign for Black, Indigenous, people of color. Joining the fight of today's young environmental activists, Mya-Rose shares her experiences to advocate for the simple, profound gift of nature, and for making it accessible to all, calling her readers to rediscover the power of our natural world. Birder, activist, daughter: this is her story.

Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Future

Birdgirl

A Young Environmentalist Looks to the Skies in Search of a Better Future

Look around you. Whether you live in a city or the countryside, whether you're standing in a field or peering out of a window. If you wait a few minutes the chances are that you'll see a bird. But did you know that many of these creatures go on epic adventures every single year? Flight is the story of seven of these amazing birds and their incredible journeys around the globe. You'll meet the arctic tern, which covers the distance from the Earth to the Moon and back three times in its lifetime. And the humble swallow, whose epic migration takes it through Europe, across the Sahara Desert and all the way to the tip of South Africa. Along the way, you'll discover history and folklore from around the world that reveal the special relationship between humans and birds. With Lynn Scurfield's beautiful full-colour original artwork on every page, this is the perfect gift for nature-lovers everywhere.

Explore the secret routes of the skies from a bird's-eye view...

Flight

Look around you, whether you live in a city or the countryside, whether you're standing in a field or peering out of a window. If you wait a few minutes the chances are that you'll see a bird. But did you know that many of these creatures go on epic adventures every single year? Millions of birds travel on bird highways - routes in the sky - across countries, continents, and even over oceans. The journeys of birds were secret for so long that we used to think barn swallows buried themselves in mud for all of winter, when really they were flying halfway around the world to South Africa. So that bird you've just spotted might have an incredible story to tell! We're going to discover the mind-blowing journeys of seven different birds. You'll meet a bird that flies so far in its lifetime, it will cover the distance from Earth to the moon . . . and back . . . THREE times! And you'll fly over the Himalayas, where the air is so thin that helicopters can't fly, but this bird can. Let's follow them as they take to the skies . . . From a world-renowned young activist, Mya-Rose Craig will share her love of birds and reveal some of their astonishing secrets.

Notes from Birdgirl

Wie uns die Natur durch schwere Zeiten helfen kann: Das berührende Memoir einer besonderen jungen Frau. Mya-Rose ist neun, als ihre Mutter versucht, sich das Leben zu nehmen. Die Diagnose: bipolare Störung. Nichts scheint zu helfen. Bis der Vater, ein begeisterter Vogelkundler, die entscheidende Idee hat: Mya-Rose und ihre Eltern packen die Ferngläser ein und machen sich auf nach Südamerika, um die Harpye zu finden, den stärksten Greifvogel der Welt. Ihre Reise, die nicht die einzige bleiben wird, ist voller Abenteuer und Hindernisse. Doch die Natur und die Vögel geben der Familie Halt und Kraft. Für Mya-Rose ist es der Start in ein außergewöhnliches Leben.

Meine Familie, die Natur und ich

Discover a powerful, evocative and urgent new young voice in nature writing. 'Birdwatching has never felt like a hobby, or a pastime I can pick up and put down, but a thread running through the pattern of my life.' Meet Mya-Rose - otherwise known as 'Birdgirl'. Birder, environmentalist, diversity activist. To date she has seen over five thousand different types of bird: half the world's species. Every single bird a treasure. Each sighting a small step in her family journey - a collective moment of joy and stillness. And each helping her to find her voice. Since she was young, she has visited every continent to pursue her passion, seeing first-hand the inequality and reckless destruction we are inflicting on our fragile planet. And the simple, mindful act of looking for birds has made her ever-more determined to campaign for all our survival. This is her story; a journey defined by her love for these extraordinary creatures. Because large or small, brown, patterned or jewelled, there is something about birds that makes us, even for just moments at a time, lift our eyes away from our lives and up to the skies. Birdgirl is the perfect read for fans of H is for Hawk, Diary of a Young Naturalist, and any young or aspiring environmentalists.

‘Lyrical, poignant and insightful.’ Margaret Atwood

Thirty young environmental activists share their dreams with voice of a generation Mya-Rose Craig Indigenous people and people of color are disproportionately affected by climate change. And yet they are underrepresented within the environmental movement. But not anymore. Written by the extraordinary environmental and campaigner for equal rights Mya-Rose Craig—aka Birdgirl—this book profiles 30 young environmental activists who are Indigenous people or people of color, from communities on the frontline of global climate change. Each speaks to the diverse set of issues they are fighting for, from water conservation, to deforestation, to indigenous rights, and shares their dream . . . A dream for climate justice. A dream for a healthy planet. A dream for a fairer world, for all. This is the first book from Craig, who shared a stage with Greta Thunberg in 2019’s climate strikes. US-based activists profiled include Marshallese ocean activist Litokne Kabua; @ThisIsZeroHour founder Zanagee Artis; indigenous rights activists Thomas Tonatiuh Lopez Jr., and Caitlyn Baikie; climate justice activist Rebeca Sabnam, and clean water activist Autumn Peltier.

Meet 30 Young Indigenous People and People of Color Protecting the Planet

We Have a Dream

Thirty young environmental activists share their dreams with voice of a generation Mya-Rose Craig Indigenous people and people of color are disproportionately affected by climate change. And yet they are underrepresented within the environmental movement. But not anymore. Written by the extraordinary environmental and campaigner for equal rights Mya-Rose Craig--aka Birdgirl--this book profiles 30 young environmental activists who are Indigenous people or people of color, from communities on the frontline of global climate change. Each speaks to the diverse set of issues they are fighting for, from water conservation, to deforestation, to indigenous rights, and shares their dream . . . A dream for climate justice. A dream for a healthy planet. A dream for a fairer world, for all. This is the first book from Craig, who shared a stage with Greta Thunberg in 2019's climate strikes. US-based activists profiled include Marshallese ocean activist Litokne Kabua; @ThisIsZeroHour founder Zanagee Artis; indigenous rights activists Thomas Tonatiuh Lopez Jr., and Caitlyn Baikie; climate justice activist Rebeca Sabnam, and clean water activist Autumn Peltier.

Mya-Rose Craig

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